KUWAIT: TOP U.S. MILITARY OFFICER GENERAL RICHARD MYERS SAYS U.S.-LED COALITION OCCUPYING IRAQ IS COMMITTED TO BRINGING REBEL SHI'ITE CLERIC MOQTADA AL-SADR TO JUSTICE

Record ID: 230487

  • Title: KUWAIT: TOP U.S. MILITARY OFFICER GENERAL RICHARD MYERS SAYS U.S.-LED COALITION OCCUPYING IRAQ IS COMMITTED TO BRINGING REBEL SHI'ITE CLERIC MOQTADA AL-SADR TO JUSTICE
  • Date: 14th April 2004
  • Summary: (W6)KUWAIT CITY AIRPORT, KUWAIT (APRIL 14, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. JOURNALISTS ATTENDING PRESS CONFERENCE WITH U.S. GENERAL RICHARD MYERS 0.06 2. (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. GENERAL RICHARD MYERS, SAYING: "Again, it's not just the U.S, it's the Coalition that believes it's the Iraqi Governing Council which right now represents the Iraqi people that think that Sadr ought to go away. It's not just the United States, that thinks he needs to be brought to justice and that is...I think that's very very consistent. He has been marginalized we think, he has, we saw, some following that can be very violent and it may well be that if he is captured, that violence could increase for a bit, but I think it will be very temporary and that in the end you can't have an Iraq of the type that the Iraqi people say they want. With someone like Sadr there, working his own priorities and trying to secure his own place, I mean he is absolutely marginalized, he does not represent very many of the Shi'ia in Iraq or anywhere else for that matter. He is against all progress in Iraq so he needs to be dealt with, and then again that is not just a U.S opinion, that's the opinion of the Iraqi Governing Council." 1.49 3. JOURNALIST TAKING PHOTOGRAPH AT PRESS CONFERENCE 1.51 4. (SOUNDBITE)(English) U.S. GENERAL RICHARD MYERS, SAYING: "First of all the Coalition is responsible for security in Iraq and when individuals work against the Coalition, work against the Iraqi Governing Council and foment, stir up unrest then it must be dealt with and that's what we are talking about here and the Iraqi Governing Council, the Iraqi court system they want Sadr as well and it may very well be that the Iraqi go after him, it may very well be that it's Iraqis and the Coalition but he has to be brought to justice, this is the way I would put it. I didn't hear General Sanchez's comment but if we have individuals that spark unrest and violence as did Sadr's militia in al-Qud (SPELLING NOT CONFIRMED), Basra, Nassiriya, in Baghdad that resulted in many deaths and probably because of the reaction of even innocent deaths that's not appropriate and he has to be dealt with and that's why just before this violence with his militia started, we shut down, the Coalition Provisional Authority shut down his newspaper because it was so, it was sparking so much unrest against the Iraqi people, against the Governing Council who were trying to help decide the Iraq's future and here is this one individual who does not have a very large following, causing lots and lots of trouble so he will have to be dealt with and I think that it's entirely appropriate that he is dealt with, that it's in accordance with the responsibilities of the Coalition Provisional Authority and the Security Council 15/11 which talked about the responsibilities of the Coalition in terms of security in Iraq, post major conflict, so I think it's all consistent, it's not the way you characterized it, I don't believe and he will have to be dealt with appropriately." 4.11 5. U.S. GENERAL RICHARD MYERS LEAVING PRESS CONFERENCE ROOM ESCORTED BY KUWAITI DELEGATES AND OFFICIALS (2 SHOTS) 4.31 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 29th April 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: KUWAIT CITY, KUWAIT
  • Country: Kuwait
  • Reuters ID: LVA2GBI2BJGCKJX2IXG3LRER6N1M
  • Story Text: Top U.S. military officer General Richard Myers says
    the U.S.-led coalition occupying Iraq was committed to
    bringing rebel Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to justice

    Top U.S. military officer General Richard Myers said
    during a news conference held in Kuwait City's airport on
    Wednesday (April 14) that the U.S.-led coalition occupying
    Iraq was committed to bringing rebel Shi'ite cleric Moqtada
    al-Sadr to justice "Again, it's not just the U.S, it's the
    Coalition that believes it's the Iraqi Governing Council
    which right now represents the Iraqi people that think that
    (Moqtada al-Sadr) Sadr ought to go away. It's not just the
    United States, that thinks he needs to be brought to justice
    and that is...I think that's very very consistent. He has been
    marginalized we think, he has, we saw, some following that
    can be very violent and it may well be that if he is
    captured, that violence could increase for a bit, but I
    think it will be very temporary and that in the end you
    can't have an Iraq of the type that the Iraqi people say
    they want," Myers said.

    "With someone like Sadr there, working his own
    priorities and trying to secure his own place, I mean he is
    absolutely marginalized, he does not represent very many of
    the Shi'ia in Iraq or anywhere else for that matter. He is
    against all progress in Iraq so he needs to be dealt with,
    and then again that is not just a U.S opinion, that's the
    opinion of the Iraqi Governing Council," he added.

    "First of all the Coalition is responsible for
    security in Iraq and when individuals work against the
    Coalition, work against the Iraqi Governing Council and
    foment, stir up unrest then it must be dealt with and
    that's what we are talking about here and the Iraqi
    Governing Council, the Iraqi court system they want Sadr as
    well and it may very well be that the Iraqi go after him,
    it may very well be that it's Iraqis and the Coalition but
    he has to be brought to justice, this is the way I would
    put it," Myers said.

    "..............just before this violence with his
    militia started, we shut down, the Coalition Provisional
    Authority shut down his newspaper because it was so...it
    was sparking so much unrest against the Iraqi people,
    against the Governing Council who were trying to help
    decide the Iraq's future and here is this one individual
    who does not have a very large following, causing lots and
    lots of trouble so he will have to be dealt with," he added.

    Sadr's supporters have been rising up against the
    U.S.-led occupying forces in south and central Iraq,
    leading to bloody clashes in which the occupiers lost
    control of several city centres.

    The United States has said it will kill or capture
    Sadr, the scion of a revered religious dynasty, and destroy
    his Mehdi Army militia. It has brought extra troops to the
    outskirts of Najaf, where Sadr is based.
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